In 1984, The New York Times carried a story about a small plane with six people on a scientific expedition, studying an endangered species of whales in the Arctic Circle.    When they were seventeen miles from their base and flying at 1000 feet, both engines failed.  Death appeared imminent to  everyone on the plane. Through great skill, the pilot was able to crash-land into the icy sea. At which point, they had 80 seconds before the plane would sink. Grabbing survival suits and a life raft that was just put in the plane the previous night, they somehow all managed to make it onto the life raft in time. One of the survivors would later say, “The odds were about a million to one. We weren’t suppose to live.” The pilot was able to radio their position seconds before they landed in the sea. Within an hour, they were rescued by a survey ship that was in the area.

Robert Stackel, in commenting about this said, “That amazing experience of rescue against ‘million to one odds’ is the gift of every person who looks to God for pardon and grace. Blistering deserts of despair, hopelessness, loneliness, and grief are formidable, but by the mercies of God, through them runs the divine gift of deliverance and hope in Christ.”

God is always searching to save. We don’t need to radio our positions to God. God already knows where we are. God knows our messes, our confusion, our loneliness and whatever darkness is filling out world. God came in Jesus for that very reason, to be with us in all the messy, frightening places we will ever face.


“The virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23

Daily Devotions and other Christmas resources can be found at this Link – Devotions for Advent to Epiphany